Photo District News (PDN), the award-winning monthly magazine for the professional photographer, has been covering the professional photographic industry for over two decades.

The PDN Photo Annual provides entrants with immeasurable exposure in the industry. Winners' galleries are published in PDN, with additional print distribution to influential creatives looking for new and established talent. The PDN Photo Annual has a reputation for prestige and value.

There's no risk to enter

All photographers retain their copyright. Winning work will only be published in the print and online winners' gallery and in promotion related to the PDN Photo Annual contest.

An entry consists of one photo, a photo series or video link, in addition to an entry fee and completed data fields.

WHAT IS A PHOTO SERIES?

A photo series includes two to six images that convey a story around a particular theme.

SHOULD I WATERMARK MY IMAGES

No, we will appropriately credit all winning photographers.

IN WHICH CATEGORY SHOULD I ENTER MY WORK?

ADVERTISING/CORPORATE WORK

Advertising is open to all commissioned advertising campaigns. Personal advertising concepts should be entered in the Personal category. Corporate Work includes projects such as annual reports, catalogs, calendars, promotional stills for motion pictures, marketing work and non-profit commissions for corporate brands. Advertisements with design layouts must be approved by the agency for contest submission.

MAGAZINE/EDITORIAL

Open to all commissioned magazine and editorial work. Personal work in the style of editorial photography should be entered in the Personal category. Please do not submit tear sheets.

Open to all published photojournalism and documentary projects, in addition to personal documentary projects.

SELF-PROMO/WEBSITES

Self-promo is open to online and print promotions, as well as photography website design. Please select single entries for screenshots of websites (judges will visit your URL). For multi-page print promos, please select a series entry to upload multiple layouts— there is NO mail-in entry available.

PERSONAL

Open to all personal photography projects.

STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY

All stock submissions must be currently licensed by stock agencies and approved by the agency for contest submission.

VIDEO/MULTIMEDIA

Videos, short films and multimedia presentations must be hosted on a third-party site, such as Vimeo; entries will include a URL to the work. Single entry only.

STUDENT WORK

The student category is open to all types of still photography produced at an undergraduate or graduate level (must be 18 or older to enter). Recent graduates may submit work produced before graduation, permitting it was created between February 2018–February 2019.

HOW ARE THE ENTRIES JUDGED?

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges selected by Photo District News. Judging is subjective, however, we have a few simple guidelines for putting together your entry.

If you are entering a single image, make sure it's strong on its own. You may choose to also enter it as part of a series, but as a single, it should relay the story, moment or concept you want to convey.

If you are entering a series, make your series cohesive. If it is not from the same photographic series or project, a visual relationship that ties the imagery together is key. Judges will be making decisions based on the strength of the series as a whole. Make a careful edit of your images and order them the way you want them to be viewed.

Trust your instincts, but also ask the advice of those you trust. Sometimes you need another opinion to improve your edit. Ask someone with a good eye, be it another artist, your rep or a creative who has experience in the field.

IS THERE A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF ENTRIES THAT I CAN ENTER?

No, you may enter as many entries as you like.

WHAT FORMAT SHOULD I SAVE MY DIGITAL IMAGES?

Please submit images that are suitable for printing in PDN magazine. The preferred size is 11x17" @ 300 dpi jpeg with either Adobe 1998, sRGB or Untagged color profiles.
More Detail: The recommended image size should be close to 5,500 pixels on the longer dimension. We can accept images that were not captured at this resolution as long as they are between 3,300-8,000 pixels on the long dimension.

CAN I ENTER IF I LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.?

Except where prohibited by law, international entries can be submitted.

MAY I SUBMIT WORK THAT WAS CREATED BEFORE 2018-2019?

To qualify, photographs must be taken, published or produced between February 2018 and February 2019. Ongoing or in progress projects that contain older images are also allowed. Recently graduated students may submit work that was shot between that timeframe, as long as the images were produced before graduation.

WILL MY IMAGES BE SOLD?

No. You retain copyright to your photograph and the Sponsors may not sell your photo entry for a fee. All entries may be posted online so that viewers may view all competing entries. And winning entries may be used in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest for a period of 24 months from the date winners are notified.

ARE MAIL-IN ENTRIES ALLOWED?

Mailed submissions are accepted only for the PHOTO BOOKS category. For mailed submissions, register on the website first and pay your entry fee. Include your e-mail address (your pdnphotoannual.com registered user) and contact information with the package. For PHOTO BOOK submissions, you must upload the book cover and up to 5 interior images or layouts saved in JPEG format. Please fill out ALL the caption and credit criteria that apply to the book.

Submitted materials will not be returned. All books must be received by the final deadline (Feb 25, 2019).

The mailing address for Photo Book submissions – please note the NEW address:

PDN Photo Annual

c/o Peter Berberian

100 Broadway, 14th floor

New York, NY 10005 USA

WHEN WILL THE WINNERS BE ANNOUNCED?

Winners will be contacted in May 2019, and the winning entries will be published in PDN's June 2019 Issue. Please do not call or e-mail us about the status of your entries.

The Photo Annual Photography Contest ("Contest") begins on October 18, 2018, at 12:00 am United States Pacific Time ("PT") and ends at 11:59 pm PT on February 4, 2019, the "Entry Period"). There is an Extended deadline of February 5, 2019, through February 25, 2019, at 11:59 pm PT with a $10 per Entry late fee ("Extended Entry Deadline"). All entries must be received by the Extended Entry Deadline. Please visit www.worldtimeserver.com or other world time database to determine local time.

ELIGIBILITY:

Open to legal residents of the following countries who are 18 years of age or older (or the age of majority in their jurisdictions of residence) and are professional or amateur photographers: 50 United States/DC (excluding AZ, MD, VT, ND, CO, NE, NJ, TN), Australia (excluding Tasmania), Belgium, Denmark, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (collectively, "Eligibility Area"). A professional photographer is defined as a person who earns more than 50% of his/her income from photography and/or publishes photographs in books, magazines, newspapers or online regularly. Employees of Photo District News® ("PDN"), The Photo Group, Emerald Expositions, Sponsor (defined below), B&H and each of their affiliates, subsidiaries and agents, and their immediate family members (spouse, parent, child, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they live) or persons living in the same households of such individuals, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter or win a prize. CONTEST IS VOID OUTSIDE THE ELIGIBILITY AREA AND WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. Subject to all federal, state, local, municipal and provincial laws and regulations.

HOW TO ENTER:

To enter electronically, please visit https://www.pdnphotoannual.com/ ("website") to register. Once the registration process has been completed, follow the online instructions to upload photographs or photo essay from your computer, pick your category(ies) and pay the $50 single image entry fee ($60 if during the Extended Registration Deadline) or $60 for series, consisting of 2-6 images ($70 during the Extended Registration Deadline) (collectively, "Entry"). There is a discount for PHOTO+ membership. See website for details.

Digital images should have a long dimension of at least 5,500 pixels and be saved at 300 dpi (Around 7" or larger). Sponsor recommends the compressed file size not be larger than 4 megabytes to ensure a fast upload experience. Sponsor can accept images that are up to 50 megabytes (uncompressed) if you do not have the ability to downsize the images (uncompressed is the size you see in Photoshop's "Image Size" display which represents the count of pixels in the image: It is not the file size on your computer's hard drive viewable on your desktop). Images may be color profiled in sRGB, Adobe-1998, or not color-managed.

The person submitting the Entry must be the creator of the Entry and will be deemed the "Entrant." You can only use one (1) email address to enter. Normal internet/phone access and data/usage charges imposed by your phone/internet service provider may apply.

You may enter any number of Entries in any of the following categories:

Advertising/Corporate Work;

Magazine/Editorial;

Photo Books;

Photojournalism/Documentary;

Self-Promo/Websites;

Personal Work;

Stock Photography;

Video Multimedia;

Student Work

Each Entry must be unique.

Each Entry consists of an entry form; a single image or photo essay; and an entry fee.

Each submitted photograph, in its entirety, must be a single work of original material taken by the Entrant. By entering the Contest, Entrant represents, acknowledges and warrants that he or she has full power and authority to enter the photograph and that the photograph does not infringe any copyright or violate any other intellectual property rights. The Entrant agrees to indemnify The Photo Group/Sponsor/Judges from any and all third party claims arising from the use of the photograph as provided below in "Third Party Releases/Licenses." If the photograph includes other people, you must be prepared to provide a signed written personal release from all persons who appear in the photograph submitted, authorizing the use of the photograph (see below for more details).

Photographs that include sculptures, statues, paintings, and other works of art will be accepted as long as they do not constitute copyright infringement or fraud, provided that Entrants must be prepared to provide a release form (in Sponsor's sole discretion) as described below in "Third Party Releases/Licenses." When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close up of another person's art.

The Entries will be judged in accordance with the Judging Criteria, as defined below. The photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the Sponsor/PDN, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content. Photographs deemed inappropriate will be disqualified.

All Entries must adhere to the Entry Guidelines indicated below, as determined by Sponsor/Judges in their sole discretion.

ENTRY GUIDELINES:

Entry must not (and Entrants represent and warrant that it will not), violate or infringe any third-party copyright, trademark, trade dress, or other proprietary rights of any entity or person (living or deceased), including but not limited to rights of privacy, publicity or portrayal in a false light.

Entry must not make reference to any commercial/corporate advertising, including but not limited to corporate logos, brand names (other than Sponsor's/PDN's), slogans, political, or religious statements, or be otherwise objectionable, as determined in Sponsor/Administrator's sole discretion.

Any Entry deemed inappropriate or unsuitable, in Sponsor's/PDN's sole discretion, will be disqualified.

Entry must not contain material that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age.

Entry cannot defame, misrepresent or contain disparaging remarks about Sponsor/PDN or any other entity associated with the Contest, or their respective products and services, or other people, products or companies.

By submitting an Entry, you understand that if your Entry is deemed to be a winner, it will be posted and distributed in various media and any such posting/distribution will be deemed made at the direction of the Entrant within the meaning of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Communications Decency Act (of the U.S.).

JUDGING:

There are two (2) rounds of judging: In Round One, a panel of PDN experts in photography (the "Judges") will each review the Entries in each Category (and determine a select amount of Entries, minimum 1) to proceed to Round Two based on the following judging criteria: Originality & Creativity of Entry (40%); Photographic Quality (35%); and Effectiveness in Expressing Contest Theme (25%) (collectively, "Judging Criteria"). In the event of a tie, tied Entries will be re-judged based solely on Originality & Creativity of Entry (100%). In Round Two, the select Entries will be re-judged by the Judges to determine one (1) Grand Prize winner per Professional category and one (1) Grand Prize winner per amateur category and six (6) First-Place winners (one per category in Professional and Amateur categories) (subject to verification and compliance with these Official Rules). Limit one (1) prize per Entrant. All decisions of the Judges/Sponsor are final and not subject to appeal.

All winning images will appear in a Sponsor-specified PDN issue and in an online gallery, as determined solely by PDN and Sponsor. No cash alternative or substitution of prizes will be allowed, except by Sponsor who reserves the right in its sole discretion to substitute a prize of comparable value if the prize listed is unavailable, in whole or in part, for any reason. All portions of the prize(s) are non-assignable and non-transferable. Any prizes pictured in any online, television and print advertising, promotional packaging, and other Contest materials are for illustrative purposes only. In the event there is a discrepancy or inconsistency between guidelines, disclosures or other statements contained in any such promotional materials and the terms and conditions of these Official Rules, the English version of these Official Rules shall prevail, govern and control. All details and other restrictions of the prize(s) not specified in these Official Rules will be determined by Sponsor/PDN in their sole discretion.

WINNER NOTIFICATION AND VERIFICATION:

Potential winners will be contacted via phone/email provided at time of Entry and will then be required to complete and return via email/mail, an Affidavit (or Declaration) of Eligibility, Release of Liability/Prize Acceptance Form and a Publicity Release (where imposing such condition is lawful) and Assignment of Rights (collectively, "Prize Documents"). Prize Documents for potential winners will be sent to the email address submitted at the time of Entry. Potential winners will be required to sign and return Prize Documents via email/mail within five (5) days of notification attempt or prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner may be determined. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and an alternate may be determined. Winners may be required to participate in any media interviews, at the sole discretion of Sponsor, with no additional compensation unless prohibited by law. If a U.S. winner, a 1099 tax statement will be filed with the IRS for the winner for the value of the prize in the year the prize is fulfilled. For all non-U.S. Winners, up to 30% of the Prize value may be due to the IRS to comply with U.S. tax laws. Depending on your country of residence, taxes may also be due to one or more jurisdictions.

GENERAL RULES:

By participating in the Contest, Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor/Judges. Sponsor's/Judges' decisions are final on all matters relating to the Contest and are not subject to appeal. All material submitted becomes the sole property of Sponsor and will not be returned. Sponsor assumes no responsibility or liability for damages, losses or injury resulting from acceptance or use of any prize. In no event will more than the stated number of prizes be awarded. All Entries will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of Entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. NOTICE: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. The Sponsor and its agencies are not responsible for technical, hardware, software or telephone malfunctions or failures of any kind, including any injury or damage to any person's computer related to or resulting from participating in or experiencing any materials in connection with the Contest, lost, late stolen, misdirected, damaged, incomplete and/or garbled Entries, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled or delayed electronic communications caused by the user or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest or by any human error which may occur in the Contest. Consequently, Sponsor and its agencies are not liable in the event your Entry is not captured due to the aforementioned reasons. The Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual that tampers or attempts to tamper with the Entry process or the operation of the Contest; violates the Official Rules; or acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be in violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. If, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Contest or the website, Sponsor reserves the right to cancel the Contest and determine the winners based on the Judging Criteria in accordance with these Official Rules. By participating in the Contest, each Entrant agrees that the Authorized Parties (A) shall not be responsible or liable for, and are hereby released from, any and all costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind, including, without limitation, death and bodily injury, due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, to participation in the Contest or any Contest-related activity, or from Entrants' acceptance, receipt, possession and/or use or misuse of any prize, and (B) have not made any warranty, representation or guarantee express or implied, in fact or in law, with respect to any prize, including, without limitation, to such prize's quality or fitness for a particular purpose. FOR RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: THIS RELEASE DOES NOT APPLY TO CLAIMS FOR PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH CAUSED BY THE NEGLIGENCE OF SPONSOR.

ENTRANT LICENSES/RELEASES:

If the photograph contains any material or elements that are not owned by the Entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the photograph, the Entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the photograph, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the photograph in the manner set forth in these Official Rules without additional compensation. If any person appearing in any photograph is under the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence, the signature of a parent or legal guardian is required on each release.

By participating, ALL ENTRANTS grant the Sponsor, PDN and their designees, licensees and affiliates (the "Authorized Parties") a non-exclusive, worldwide license, through September 2021 , to reproduce, distribute, display and post the entries online. In addition, each WINNER grants to the Authorized Parties a license for use of his/her winning Entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, including but not limited to, print or digital publication in PDN magazine showcasing the winners, and promotions related to the Contest. Authorized Parties will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such use.

THIRD PARTY RELEASES/LICENSES:

By entering the Contest, each Entrant understands that they retain their copyright. Winners authorize Sponsor to reproduce, distribute, display and create derivative works of the photograph Entry in connection with Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, including but not limited to: publication in Photo District News® showcasing the winners; PDN Photo Annual Photography Contest live gallery; the website and on pdnonline.com; and in exhibits and promotions related to the Contest. Winners authorize Emerald Expositions Photo Group to reproduce, distribute, display and create derivative works of the photograph Entry in connection with the Content of the Contest through September 2020.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES:

Each Entrant represents and warrants that he or she has read, understands and will follow the Official Rules. Entrants further represent and warrant that their Entry and all materials and matter therein: (1) (except for elements that are within the public domain) are wholly original with such Entrant and are not a copy or imitation of any other material; (2) will not infringe or violate any right whatsoever, including, without limitation, any personal rights (e.g., defamation, privacy, false light, moral right, etc.) or any property rights (e.g., copyright, trademark, right to ideas, etc.) of any person or entity and the use thereof will result in no third party liability or obligations; and (3) is not the subject of any threatened or pending litigation, claim or dispute that might give rise to litigation, which adversely affects or in any way prejudices, impairs or diminishes the rights granted hereunder or the value thereof. Each Entrant further represents and warrants that he or she has the right to agree to and fully perform consistently with these Official Rules and the consent of no third parties are required to grant the rights hereunder. Entrant further acknowledges and agrees that he/she has not previously granted, assigned or otherwise hypothecated his/her Entry to any other third party. Further, each Entrant represents and warrants that Sponsor's use of any Entry shall not violate an agreement to which such Entrant has signed. Entrants agree to indemnify and hold the Authorized Parties harmless from and against any third party claim, to the extent relating to any breach or alleged breach of any representation, warranty or covenant made by such Entrant in connection with his or her acceptance of these Official Rules or Contest activities.

DATA COLLECTION/PRIVACY:

Sponsor collects personal information from Entrants when they enter the Contest for use in the administration of the Contest. The information collected is subject to the Privacy Policy located at https://www.emeraldexpositions.com/privacy-policy/. By participating in the Contest, Entrants hereby agree to Sponsor's collection and usage of their personal information and acknowledge that they have read and accepted Sponsor's privacy policy. For residents of the E.U.: Your personal data will be transferred out of the European Union to the United States. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides a number of protections for the collection and use of your personal data. Any personal data collected from you shall be subject to the Sponsor's privacy policy located at https://www.emeraldexpositions.com/privacy-policy/ and the GDPR. The Sponsor will only use your personal data for the purposes of administrating this Contest unless you provide consent signifying your agreement to any other processing or use of your personal data. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting Info@pdncontests.com.

NO OBLIGATION TO USE:

Sponsor shall have no obligation (express or implied) to use any Entry or to otherwise exploit any Entry, or, if commenced, to continue the distribution or exploitation thereof, and Sponsor may at any time abandon the use of the Entry for any reason, with or without legal justification or excuse, and Entrants shall not be entitled to any damages or other relief by reason thereof.

GOVERNING LAW/JURISDICTION:

ALL ISSUES AND QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEABILITY OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES OR THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF ENTRANTS OR SPONSOR IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY CHOICE OF LAW OF CONFLICT OF LAW RULES OR PROVISIONS THAT WOULD CAUSE THE APPLICATION OF ANY OTHER STATE'S LAWS.

WINNERS LIST:

For any legally required winners list, click on the winners' list section of the website after May 15, 2019.